Jason Day reaches quarter-finals of WGC Match-Play Championship with victory over George Coetzee

Sat 22 Feb 2014, 11:21 AM AEDT

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Good day ... Jason Day trailed for periods during rounds one and two but enjoyed an easier time in round three, leading all the way to reach the quarter-finals in Arizona.

Getty: Matt Sullivan, file photo

Jason Day moved into the quarter-finals of the WGC Match-Play Championship with a 3 and 1 victory over South African George Coetzee in round three at Dove Mountain.

Unlike his previous two wins when he fell behind early, World number 11 Day never trailed in his match against the 59th-ranked South African and closed it out with a birdie on the 17th hole.

Day will now face another South African and former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen in the final eight after he demolished American Webb Simpson 5 and 4.

Queenslander Day kickstarted his round with a lovely approach to just four feet on the first to win with a birdie and although Coetzee countered with a birdie to win the second hole Day was in control from there on.

Coetzee found water on the third to give Day the advantage once more and the Queenslander doubled his lead with another birdie on the fifth hole to put him a step closer to the final eight.

But Coetzee refused to lay down, nailing an eagle on the par-five eighth to beat Day's birdie.

Day finally pushed back to a two-hole advantage when Coetzee could not scramble for par on the 14th hole before winning it on the 17th green.

"I played really nicely. I got off to a good start today and I just really wanted to keep pushing forward," Day said.

"If I just gave him that little bit of leeway, I think he would have came back and there would have been another upset but definitely happy that I got him."

Day finished third at the event last year after losing to eventual champion Matt Kuchar in the semi finals.

In other matches Sergio Garcia relinquished a 3-up lead through eight holes to lose to Rickie Fowler, the American prevailing 1-up.

Young gun Jordan Spieth took out defending champion Kuchar 2 and 1 and now faces veteran South African Ernie Els after he beat Jason Dufner 1-up.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell continued his extra hole miracles, taking down Hunter Mahan in 21 holes and will now play surprise packet Frenchman Victor Dubuisson after he surprised Bubba Watson 1-up.